New Mission of National Security Importance SEMATECH Taps Sandia for Help in Restoring US Chip Supremacy For more than a decade, US semiconductor companies - once the unchallenged leaders in the world chip market - have been falling behind their foreign competitors. Now, Sandia will play an expanded role in SETEC'S WORK of helping helping restore US competitiveness in this market US semiconductor equip• through a joint venture with SEMATECH - the ment manufacturers improve Austin, Tex.-based consortium of integrated circuit the reliability of chip-making (IC) manufacturers who joined forces in 1987 to equipment and processes develop advanced IC manufacturing technology. will involve many organiza• The technical assistance agreement between tions throughout the Labs, SEMATECH and Sandia calls for the Labs to says Wayne Johnson (1126, develop a national IC processing equipment center right), who teamed with Jim Gerardo (1120) to work with SEMATECH officials on "One of SEMATECH's goals is to pro• coordinating development of the center at Sandia. duce equipment that can run for 5000 hours between failures." here. Called SETEC, or Semiconductor Equipment Technology Center, its mission is to help compa• nies that manufacture IC-processing equipment ment officials, SRC (Semiconductor Research equipment- the tools of the trade," says Bob Noyce. improve the reliability of existing equipment and Corporation) officials, and a number of Sandia, Market researchers estimate that US chip develop advanced equipment and processing tech• DOE, and DARPA (DoD's Defense Advanced production lines can be used only 25 to 40 per• niques that will help the US compete effectively in Research Projects Agency) representatives. cent of a given workweek because they are so the international semiconductor market. SEMATECH President and CEO Robert (Bob) often shut down for repair or maintenance of The agreement is being signed and an• Noyce, Senator Pete Domenici, Representative machines. The mean time between failures for nounced here today during a colloquium involv• Steve Schiff, and Governor Garrey Carruthers are equipment on a semiconductor manufacturing ing SEMATECH officials, members of the New among the visiting officials who are scheduled to line is estimated to be about 10 to 200 hours. Mexico Congressional delegation, State govern- participate in the meeting that begins this morning "One of SEMATECH's goals," says Noyce, in the Technology Transfer Center. "is to produce equipment that can run for 5000 Using All the National Resources hours between failures." Tuning Up Tools of the Trade Through SETEC, Sandia will work to help SEMATECH President Bob Noyce says "One of the greatest weaknesses in the US SEMATECH achieve that goal by developing SETEC will be the consortium's first experi• semiconductor industry today is the repeatability techniques to collect and analyze data on mean- ence of working with a national lab, but he and reliability of semiconductor manufacturing (Continued on Page Four) anticipates additional cooperative work: "We want to use all the national resources that we can to solve the very serious problems of America's declining competitiveness." Noyce is a pioneer in the electronics industry and a co-founder of two IC compa• nies - Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel Corp. (See "Noyce on State of the Semiconductor Industry," page five.) For IAEA Inspectors Training Course Goal: Transfer of Safeguards Technology Back in the '50s, worldwide concern about 5200, through their international safeguards The two-day training course, held at a local limiting the spread of nuclear weapons led to the efforts, are helping the IAEA to ensure that hotel, was the seventh conducted by Sandia establishment of the International Atomic nuclear material worldwide is being used for stat• since the program began in April 1986. Energy Agency (IAEA). A main objective of the ed purposes. Approximately 75 people were trained in the six Agency, headquartered in Vienna, is to ensure Part of those efforts involve training for the previous courses. Inspectors at the most recent Agency. For example, 12 IAEA inspectors from eight session represented Bolivia, Canada, Japan, countries were in Albuquerque July 31-Aug. 1 to Morocco, Poland, UK, US, and Zaire. "The devices operate unattended for attend a training course on Containment and IAEA inspectors, as the name implies, make long periods of time ... and must be Surveillance (C/S) technology conducted by 5200. (Continued on Page Six) reliable and tamper-resistant, be• cause CIS data are fundamental to the inspectors' reports to IAEA." LEE SCHOENEMAN (5217), second from left, explains a that nuclear material used for peaceful purposes PC-Based Ultrasonic Seal is not diverted in any of IAEA's 113 member Pattern Reader to Don states. Amundrud of Canada (right) Providing that assurance means that IAEA and Lawrence Beaman of the must verify - in an independent and technically US. Rob Tooley (5217, left} correct manner- that member states are com• looks on. The PC-SPAR, plying with their IAEA safeguards agreements. developed at Sandia, will be That's where Sandia enters the picture. used to analyze the integrity Members of Nuclear Security Systems Directorate of ultrasonic seals at nuclear facilities in IAEA member countries. Quality: the Key Word in Major New INTEC Curricula - SeePage Ten This & That This Isn't Our Soviet Union Travel Issue -but you might think so. Donna Rix's story about the trip that Jack Jackson (9241) and Art DuCharme (6513) took to Leningrad last December has been ready for several weeks, but was postponed several times for lack of space. After we scheduled it for this issue, we received copy for the Sandia, Livermore, page from Barry Schrader (8522). Surprise! Barry's feature is an "unusual vacation" story about Jim Alvarez's (8453) recent trip to Moscow. Great timing, huh? It'll probably be a hot day in Siberia before we have another unusual vacation story about a trip to the Soviet Union . * * * More Variations - of the Sandia name and address continue to turn up on correspondence . Among the recent ones: Snadia National Labs in Aubra Verques (to Chris Olson, 9127), Sarndoa Matl Laborato (to Wilson Brooks, 9141), Sandy & National Labs (to Barbara Hawkins, 3211) , and Santa Laboratories (to Gary Froehlich, 2344) . I think that last one is staffed by elves . Probably the most common misspelling : Saudia National Labs. Several Sandians have sent that one to us . * * * How Not to Keep a Secret - From the July/August issue of the Bulletin of the American Physical Society: A reporter called the Washington office of White House Chief of Staff John Sununu to check out a rumor of an upcoming meeting between Sununu and University of Utah researcher B. Stanley Pons, co-inventor of the controversial "cold fusion" process. The caller asked, "Is Governor Sununu to meet with AT&T COLORS OVERHEAD- The AT&T flag Professor Pons?" "I cannot confirm that," carne the reply, "since the now flies below "Old Glory" at all Sandia facilities. meeting is private. " Thanks, Marvin Moss (4051). Lt. Greg Seymour (3434) is seen here raising the * * * flags over Bldg . 800. The AT&T flags are flying at Love Those Names - Most folks in the "word business" appreciate the suggestion of Sandia President AI Narath, who creative names and titles. Two caught my eye in the past month. One is a says it's just one more way of maintaining close company name that was mentioned in our July 28 issue. Schott Glass ties with our AT&T parent company and express• Technologies manufactures S-glass, invented by Howard McCollister (DMTS) ing pride in the relationship. AT&T has managed and Scott Reed (both 7476). The other is the title of a recent talk by Sandia since November 1 , 1949. Raymond Guilmette of the Inhalation Toxicology Research Institute: "Nasal Airways: The Rodney Dangerfield of the Respiratory Tract." * * * Feet Around America Show Time in Albuquerque- Here's a recommendation: the new Dynarnax Theater that opened early this month in the New Mexico Museum of Natural History. It features 70mm films projected onto a 27- by 40-foot TLC Declares September screen; a six-channel, 400-watts-per-channel stereo system; and up-close Walking Month seating that "creates an image so realistic it projects the viewer into the on-screen action." After viewing the current attraction, "Flyers," I Sandians are invited to join TLC's (Total Life agree. Among other things, you experience how it feels to wing-walk on a Concept) "Feet Around America" program again plane over the Grand Canyon and fly in an F-15 jet fighter. This attrac• this year. Trek from El Paso along the perimeter of tion plays for about five more months. Showings are every hour, 10 a.m. the United States- 11,204 miles- without leav• through 5 p.m. Admission revenues support Museum operations. Ticket ing the state (or even your own neighborhood). information is available on 841-8837. Participants will keep a weekly log of miles * * * walked that will be combined with the miles of Wasting Away- Jim Gearhart (5126) couldn't help noticing the other participants and then plotted on a map of the irony several weeks ago when he saw a commercial truck driver enter the continental US. Cumulative progress will be plot• Kiva Cafeteria, order breakfast, and sit down for a leisurely meal. The ted on a map posted in the Sandia Medical Clinic. driver left his engine running all the while. The truck was from a waste Participants are invited to a two-part lecture management firm. •LP series on fitness walking. The lectures will be in the Technology Transfer Center Sept. 5 and 19, 12 to 12:45 p.m. Free wrist wallets will be given to the first 150 folks who show up at the Sept. 5 lecture. Contact Michaeli Portman (3330) on 4-1574 Take Note for registration forms and fitness packets.